Automatic jack block for cars



Feb. 13, 1940. M. SHARKEY AUTOMATIC JACK BLOCKl FOR CARS Filed July 18, 1939 [lll/lll lll/[l//ll/ VlIIIllllllIllll/L INVENTOR JHM/del BY 1 '5 f y a l "M` 0% ATTORNEY ,n Patented Feb. 13,1940 l v EUNITED' eSflATES u I' `f 2,190,491

4 Michael 'Sharkey, Brooklyn, Y; Application July-18, 1939, Serial No. 285,043

fsjclaims'.' (o1. @25315-385 This invention relates to new and useful imf provementsinvan automatic jackblock for automobiles. t

The'invention has for an object-the construction -.of a vdevice as mentioned which is char-- vacterzedby a runway having a depressible raised central portion and inclined ends upon which the Iwheels of an automobile may be engaged, and an arrangement whereby the weight of the automobile may be used to depress the-central portion,.and subsequently the energyy produced bythe weight of the automobile be vusedto jack yup an automobile.

j--Mor'e specifically the invention proposes the use of a spring motorand mechanism associated therewith by which energy from the raised automobile, when-moving downwards mayvsubselquently befu'sed to yjacllfup acar. i f

` f With this arrangement it is lpossible-to drive `an automobile so that one wheel engages r"the .depressible raised central portion and then to manipulatefthe device for first lstoring energy and then vutilizingthis energy for jackingpurposes. Of course one automobileA may be usedto .produce the storedenergy, and the same automobile at a subsequent' time or different automobiles may be jacked bythis-device.

Still further the invention proposes the constructionfof .a device as mentioned which is simterial part of this disclosure: y

Fig.,1 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of an automobilevuand-associated jackv` block mechanism in accordance with this invention.v

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view takenl on the line 2-2of Fig. 1. y

Fig.3'is a View similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating the automobile'jacked up by the automatic jack -block device. 1

Fig. 4` is a fragmentary perspective view of 'a portion of the runwayof the device. l

Fig. 51s a fragmentary enlarged transverse` sectional .viewof a portion' of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 vis a fragmentary verticalsectional vie taken on thexliner 6f-6 of Fig. 5. v l

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 1-"lvof`Fig.,6.

vtion I3.

vthe free 'ends of the end portions.

I 1 and 'engaged by a rock head 20. head 20 is mounted on a stem 2| slidably-supported in ya bearing 22.

Fig. 8is a fragmentary enlarged sectional den tailedview ofaportion of the jack arm of the device.'

The rautomatic jack block for automobiles'. in"

accordancewith vthis invention includesk a run `wayl I0 4upon which one wheel II of an 'automobile I2 may be driven. This runway Illv` has .a

.depressible central portion Illa and end'portions I0b. The Wheel Il may be driven either'way up the inclined portions and brought to a position ofrest on the central portion ll;` Each end portion Illbis connectedwith an end ofthecentral portion Il)a by a hinge construc- The free end of each end portion is provided with rollers I4 whichr rest upon vthe ground 'and are capable of movably` supporting The central portion I0El on its bottom face, is provided with guide rods l5 which extend vertically downwards,

and engager through complementary receiving p20 openings formed in the top of a hollo'wbody" i6,

whichA is embedded below the vsurfaceof; the" V `ground or oor. y

A bar I1 is 'also connected with the central porytion Illa' and extends vertically downwards into or ina depressed position. This means includes rack teeth I9 `formed upon one face of the.' bar This rack 'I'he stem 2I extends from the body I6 and its extended end is provided j with a head 2.3 by which it may bev moved. A'

spring 24 is `coaxially ymounted upon the stem `and acts betweenthe bearing 22 land the'head v20.for normally urging the rack head in an operative position. The head 23 is located in an opening 25 formed in theoor orA ground immediately` adjacent the body I6. y

lThis spring 2l is housed. 'Ihe drum 26 has an open end across'which a discr 28r-extends. A shaft 29 supports the disc 28 and extends into the 'drum 26.. The inner end ofthe spring 2l is connected with the shaft 29 bya fastening element `The ydrum 26 .is ixedlyv supported upon ra rotative shaft 3l.

the .drum 26. This transmission system includes a gear-'transmission system32 having a pinion 32a at onel end meshingwith rack teeth 3.3 formed `onthe bar Il'.r rIhe pinion32a is nxedly mounted A transmission system connects the bar `i "i with upon a rotatively supported shaft 513v which 'carries a large gear 32b which in turn meshes with a The pinion 32c is fixedly mounted upon a shaft l which carries a large gear 32d.

s The transmission system 32 terminates in a pinion 32e mounted upon the shaft 3l. The pinion 32e meshes with the gear 32d. The pinion 32a and the gear 32d do not mesh. The arrangement is such that when the bar `Il moves .downwards lo the motionl will be transmittedto rotate the shaft 3l which in turnl will windthe outside end of the spring 21. Suitable bearings 34 are pro'- Vided for supporting the shaft 3l and the shafts-A -A of the transmission system.

A jack armv 35 projects from"thebody lland at its upper end has an adjustablymountedyoke 36 adapted to engage beneath tl'i'a'xle 'i211 of the v automobile l2 for jacking 'upfionef-wheelL-of the'i" automobile. The yoke 36 has a thread stem 36a which threadedly engages into the top' end o'f thev 25 A transmission system'. is provlded forraising the jack arm, and this transmission 'system is operable by thespring motor previously referred to. .The vtransmission system includes a gear transmission system 38. This gear transmission e system has a pinion 38EL at one end meshing with rack teeth 39 formed at one side of the jack arm 35.t 'Ihepinion- 38a is xedly mounted upon a shaft 52 which carries a large gear 38h. l The gear .381J meshes with a pinion 38e xedly mounted upon a rotative shaft 53. A gear dv is also mounted upon the shaft 53. The transmission sys'temf38 terminates in a pinion 38e mounted upon the'shaft 29 and which meshes with the .gear 38d. A means isprovided for releasably holding *4'0" the jack arm 35 in a raised or in a depressed position. This means includes rack teethl mounted .upon oney side ofthe jack 'arm 35 and engaged by a rack head '4 l. The rack head v4i ismounted on `a stem 42 slidably supported in a bearing .43. i5 -The stem projects fromy the body i5. Its cuter .end isprovided with a knob 44 by which it may vtbe moved.. This knob'is located in a recess 45 formedv in the floor or ground immediately adjalrcent the'f'body i5. :A springll is associated with 'the stem 42 and acts between the one fside of the bearing 43 and the rack head 4I for urging the rack v'head into engagement with. the. rack .teeth 40.1rn z fi The bottom end of the bar ifi' is connected with 5`5 a dash potdS adapted to preventtoo rapid motion :':of the .bar-Il'. Thezdashpot iincludes a casing -or cylinder in which there is a piston 49. This f'piston is connected.with the bottom end of the wbar Il. A strongspring 5U normally tends to. urge the piston into a'raised position.l

v'A valve 5i `con'trols'the escape of' airlfrom the interior of the dash pot. .such that when the bar il moves downwards Athe :valve 5l closes and then only the bleed y5|f--in the Ivalve permits-the escape of air fromthe dash pot housing d8a. Another. dash pot 48 is constructed vsubstantially identical to the previously men.

2,190,491 f u i Y .y

tor of the device moves the stem 2| by gripping i Y moved.

.driven olf of the yoke The spring 55 willas- @g5 `sist in returning the runway l0 back to its 'initial The arrangement isv the knob 23 and pulling outwards. This causes the rack head 20 to disconnect from the rack teeth I9 of the bar l1. `The central portion Il]a of thel runway will now be depressed by the weight of 1.5I

the automobile. The bar I1 will move dofwn'slowly due to the dash pot dfbeing connected with the bottom of the bar Il. As the bar Il moves downwards the transmission system 32.wil1transi" l mit motion from the baril to windthe spring 10.. .'27 on the springgmotor.A When the depressible f central portion 10a has reached its fully'depressed condition, as illustrated in Fig. 3; then the knob 23 is released so that the spring 24 'returns the thev rack head 20 engages the rack teeth I9 and 'the bami 'looked in its depressed condition.4

The vehicle I2, may then be driven away. When desiredthe same or another vehicle maybe placed in position over the jackarm 35. Then the knob -l0 .lill may. bejmoved to release the ratchet head 4i fromv its-engagement with'the ratchet teeth` 40. The jack arm 35 is now free and thespringmo- .tor which includes the spring 2'!v willnow function through-the transmission system 38, to raise 25 the jack arm 35 and so jack up 'the'vehicleir It should -be noted that in the jackedupposition `of thevehicle, as illustrated inFig. 3,v the -wheel `Il* is completely free so that its tire. mayy be re- The yoke 36 may be manually raised or lowered i relative to the jack arm 35 so that it engages as closely as possible against the bottomv of the; axle |2f=L of the automobile. This will'prevent wastingl of some lof the stored up powerofthe spring mo- 35 the rack head 2i] from the] teeth i9; lItis also lof .necessary that the knob 33 be drawn out torer lease the rack head Mfromvthe teeth-lill. NowA the weight of the vehicle willmovethe jack "arm 35 downwards. The automobile may now,` be

raised position illustrated in Figs. 1 and-2. The I device is now ready to be reoperatedas already described.

While I have illustrated anddescribed the pre- 50 'i ferred embodiments of my invention, itis to be, understood that I do not limit myself tothe pre# cise constructions herein disclosedV and the right Aisreserved to all changes and' modifications corri--k j n ing within the scopeofthelinvention asA defined 55j in theappended'claims. l 1 Having thus described my invention, What II claim as new, and desiregto, secure by'f-United States Letters Patent is:

' .11; An-automatic jack *block/fior automobiles,A o

comprising a runway having adepressible raised.

central portion'and inclined ends upon whiclrthe l wheel vofan automobile may be enga'gednpo-n,4

means for releasably holding said raisedcentral portion in .a raised orfadepressed position, a-'s65 spring' motor, a transmissionsystem'forl winding saidv spring motor operable by depression-offsaidl vcentral portion, a jackarmfor raising fsaid auto? central portion and inclined ends upon which the I."

comprising a runway having a depressible raisedy central portion and inclined ends upon which. `the wheel of van automobile may be engaged upwheel of an automobile may beenga-ged upon,

means for releasablyfholding said raised central' portion -in a raised or ay depressed position, a spring motor, a transmission system forwvinding said spring motor operable bydepression of `said central portion,1a jack arm forraising said automobile, Aa transmission system for raising saidv 3. An automatic jack block for automobiles, f comprising a runway having a depressible raised central portion and inclined ends vupon which the wheelof an automobile may be engaged upon, meansfor releasably holding said raised central portion in a raised or a depressed position, a spring motor,` a transmission system for winding said spring motor operable byr depression of said central portion, a jack arm forv raising said automobile, a transmission systeml forraising said a raised or a depressed position, the end portions'of said runway being hingedly connected with central portion, and the free ,ends of the the ground.

4. An automatic jack block for automobiles,

on, means for rele'asably holding said raised central portion ina raised or a depressed position,

a spring motor, a transmissionsystem for wind# ing said spring motor operable by depression of Y said central portion, a jack arm for raising said automobile,vv a transmission system `for raising said jack arm operable by` said spring motor,

f and means for releasably holding said jack arm in a raised or a depressed position, said means for releasably holding the central portion including a bar connected with the central porftion and having rack teeth, and a rack latch enfgaging said teeth for holding lthebar against motion.

5. An vautomatic jack mock for automobiles, comprising a runway having a depressible raised ing said yspring motoroperable by depression. of said central portion, a jack arm for raising said automobile, a transmission system for raising said 'jack arm operable'by said spring motor, and means for releasably holding said jack arm in a tor including a cylindrical housing containinga spring which lis connected at `one end with the housing,l and a shaft v engaging through said housing and connected with the other end of said spring.

6. .anv automatic jack block for automobiles, ,v comprising a runway having `a depressible raised lcentral portion and inclined ends upon which lthe wheel of an automobile may be engaged upon, means for'releasably holding said raised central portion in ka raised or a depressed position, ra

; raised or a depressed position, said spring mospring motor, a transmission system for winding said spring motor operable by depression. of said central portion, a jack arm for raising said automobile, atransmission system for raising said jack arm operable, by said spring motonvand `means for releasably holding said jackv arm in a raised or depressed position, said transmissionl 1 systems vcomprising gear transmission systems.

7,. An automatic jack` block for automobiles, comprising a runway having a depressible raised 'central portion and inclined ends upon which the wheel of Aan automobile may be engaged upend portions being provided with rollers engaging on, means for releasably holding said raised cen'- l tral portion' in a raised or a depressed position,

a spring motor, a transmission system for winding said spring motor operable by depressionof `said central'portion, a jack arm for raising said raised or a depressed position, said jack arm` having a yoke at its top endrand means for holding said yoke in various vertical adjusted posi- `tions on the said jack arm.

, 8. An automatic jackA block for automobiles,

comprising a runway having a depressible raised central portion iand inclinedk ends upon-A which the'wheel of an automobile maybe engaged upon, means for releasably holdingsaidraised central portion in a raised or a depressed position, a spring motor, a transmission system for winding said spring motor Voperable by depression of said central portion, a jack arm for raising said automobile, Va transmission systemy for vraising f. said jack arm operable by said spring motor,

lMICHAEL sHARKEY. 

